Ron Docken is the hero from the hockey cult classic Slap Shot who you didn’t know was truly playing a starring role.
The actual goaltender for the Johnstown Jets, the NAHL team that the Charlestown Chiefs are modeled after in the 1977 film starring Paul Newman, Docken is seen in many scenes in the film.
Some you already know about. In the film, Docken plays Yvon Lebrun, the backup goalie for the Chiefs. He’s the guy who buries his face in his trapper while the Hanson Brothers are creating mayhem during their first shift for the Chiefs.
Mostly, when you see Docken in the film, he’s sitting on the Charlestown bench. It’s Yvon Barrette, playing diminutive French-Canadian goalie Denis Lemieux, who steals many of the movie’s scenes with his brilliant one-liners.
However, what you don’t know is that once Barrette dons his mark to tend to the goaltending duties for the Chiefs during game action, the guy who is actually behind the mask in the majority of those scenes is Docken.
Early during filming, Barrette suffered a knee injury. From that point forward, Docken took his place as Denis Lemieux’s stunt double in the hockey scenes.
Docken A Real Pro Goalie
An actual pro netminder, Docken spent seven seasons with the Jets, finishing his pro career in 1979. He was their goalie when they won the NAHL title in 1974-75. Docken attended training camp with the NHL’s St. Louis Blues prior to the 1973-74 season. He also spent one season with the Long Beach Sharks of the PHL.
From South Minneapolis, he backstopped Minneapolis Roosevelt High to the state championships in 1966 and was named to the All-State Tournament Team. He earned a scholarship to the University of Minnesota, playing for the Golden Gophers from 1967-70.
Today, Docken, 76, still lives in the Twin Cities.